Rebels kill eight in Nepal bus ambush
Communist rebels ambushed a public bus east of Nepal’s capital, killing at least six soldiers and two civilians on board, officials said today.
The rebels hid in bushes beside the mountainous highway and fired at the passing bus last night, government and police officials said.
The soldiers were riding on the bus along with a large number of civilians.
One soldier and two civilians were also wounded in the attack near Narke village, 75 miles east of the capital, Katmandu.
The officials, who did not want to be named for security reasons, said the injured had been flown to an army hospital. The soldier was in critical condition, they said.
The attack came several days after rebel leaders announced a policy of not attacking civilian vehicles or targets.
On Monday, the guerrillas bombed a civilian bus in southern Nepal, killing at least 38 people and wounding 71. The rebels later claimed responsibility for the bombing, but said it was a mistake.
There was no immediate rebel comment on the latest attack.
Fighting between the rebels and government troops has escalated since King Gyanendra took absolute power earlier this year, promising to quell the communist insurgency.
The rebels have been fighting since 1996 to abolish Nepal’s constitutional monarchy and set up a communist state. They claim to be inspired by Chinese revolutionary Mao Zedong.
The insurgency has left more than 11,500 people dead.
